Georgia High School Writing Test

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2Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT)The GHSWT takes place during the last week of September or the first week in October.Students have 180 minutes to produce a composition of no more than two pages on an assigned topic.

8How the Georgia High School Writing Test is Scored: The Score ScaleFive score points in each scoring domainA score of “5” represents the highest level of competence in each domain.1___________________________5

11Defining Persuasive WritingPersuasive Writing: Writing that has as its purposeconvincing others to accept the writer’s positionas valid, adopt a certain point of view, or takesome action.Methods:• Provides logical appeals, emotional appeals,facts, statistics, narrative anecdotes, humor,and/or the writer’s personal experiences andknowledge.* The writer’s score will not be influenced by choosing to write in either first person or third person.

12The Components of Ideas Domain 1Ideas: The degree to which the writer establishes a controlling idea and elaborates the main points with examples, illustrations, facts, or details that are appropriate to the assigned genre.Controlling IdeaSupporting IdeasRelevance of DetailAwareness of Persuasive Purpose*1.A component is a feature of writing within a particular scoring domain.

13Controlling Idea 1. An effective controlling idea:Is the focus of the paperTies all of the information in the paper to the assigned writing topic and persuasive purposeHelps the reader understand the writer’s purpose: “What is the writer convincing me to or do?”

15Understanding the Writing Topic:The Writing SituationAll GHSWT writing topics contain two sections – the Writing Situation and the Directions for Writing.The Writing Situation gives the background for the writing assignment.The first sentence of the Writing Situation introduces the general topic.The remaining sentences in the Writing Situation help the writers think about different aspects of the topic, realize that they do know enough about the topic to write, and focus their individual responses.

16Understanding the Writing Topic:The Directions for WritingThe Directions for Writing tell what the students are supposed to do for the writing assessment.The first sentence of the Directions for Writing provides the students with a format for writing and gives the students an identifiable audience.The final sentence of the Directions for Writing reminds the students to give many specific examples and ideas to elaborate their supporting ideas.

17sample Writing Prompt Writing SituationMany public school systems across the country require students to wear uniforms. Some educators believe that wearing uniforms will help students concentrate more on their school work. On the other hand, some students argue that having to wear uniforms prevents them from expressing their individuality. Your principal is considering whether students at your school should wear uniforms.Directions for WritingWrite a letter to your principal expressing your view on school uniforms. Provide convincing reasons and specific examples to support your position.

18Relevance of Detail Relevance Writer’s Topic Audience Purpose1. Relevant details focus directly on the controllingidea and topic and serve to advance its development2. In a persuasive response about whether or not to adopt school uniforms, the following details would be relevant;a. How much uniforms costb. Whether or not students like uniformsc. Whether or not wearing uniforms will improveconcentration in class and/or test scores.d. Whether or not uniforms will decrease cliquese. Whether or not uniforms hinder a student’s ability to express his/her individuality

19Example of Depth of Development in a ParagraphControlling Idea: I am against required school uniforms (stated in the opening paragraph).Sample Body ParagraphSupporting IdeaMajor DetailsSpecific Details and ExamplesUniforms keep us from expressing our individuality. I like to express myself and my interests through my choice of clothes. But if I looked like 1,000 other people, how could I be expressive or original? No teenager likes being told what to wear everyday. I have some friends who attend schools where they have to wear uniforms. None of them ever say they like the uniforms. They are all unhappy because their individuality is stifled. I do not want to be that frustrated with my clothing.

20Development of Ideas Development Fluency of DevelopmentFluency of Development-quantity of supporting ideasDepth of DevelopmentDepth of development –degrees of supportfor the topic; several layers of relevant details.For development of Supporting Ideas; use:Factual informationAnecdotesStatisticsthese can be further developed with specific detailsthat may be factual or descriptive.Fully developed essays have two or three layers of supporting details.Students who receive high scores in Ideas write papers that develop a few supporting ideas in depth compared to student writers who try to cover many supporting ideas with less depth of detail. (Go for quality not quantity.)

21Depth of Development Controlling IdeaThe controlling idea serves as the focus for all the other layers of details in a persuasive piece.SupportingThe supporting ideas are the claims the writer is making about the issue in the assigned writing prompt.Major DetailsMajor Details are the evidence used to elaborate or support each claim made by the writer.Specific Examples and ElaborateSpecific examples, anecdotes, facts,and statistics are used to fully are used to fully develop each of the major details..

22ESOL STUDENT WRITER ALERTStudents who receive minimal scores in Ideas on the Georgia High School Writing Test often fail to develop their arguments (positions) beyond Level Two, that is, making broad general claims about an issue without providing the details to support them.

23Sense of CompletenessTwo features give a paper a sense of completeness:1. Fullness of information2. The paper drawing to a natural close

24Awareness of the Persuasive PurposeDemonstrating Awareness of the Persuasive PurposeEstablishes a clear position on the issueProvides relevant supporting ideasSelects convincing details and examples appropriate tothe audience assigned in the writing promptUses specific rhetorical devices to support assertionsAddresses readers’ concerns, counterclaims, biases,and expectations1. Selecting details appropriate to the assigned audience: To convince a principal not to require uniforms, it would be effective to suggest that uniforms will not increase concentration on school work or improve student performance and behavior.2. Counterargument: In persuasive writing, the writer’s argument may be strengthened by anticipating, acknowledging, and countering opposing perspectives on the issue.

25IDEAS SUM IT UP… Controlling idea-focuses and holds the essay togetherSupporting ideas-add support to controlling idea/ main ideaDetails relate to the controlling and supporting ideas, and helppaint a picture to help the reader understand the writer’s argumentEssay shows that the writer knows he/she is to persuade-convince the audience to do or believe somethingHas sense of completeness-gives enough information and signals “this is the end”Depth of Development-gives support to main idea, adds strength to supporting ideas, gives lots of related details and examples to help complete the argument

26Effective Organization Domain 2The organizing strategy is appropriate to thewriter’s argument and topic and guides thereader through the text.Ideas are sequenced and grouped appropriately and logically.The introduction sets the stage for the writer’sargument.The conclusion provides a sense of closurewithout repetition.Transitioning is used to connect ideas withinparagraphs and across parts of the paper.

27Introduction-Body-ConclusionIntroduction: Sets the stage for the development of the writer’s ideas and is consistent with the purpose of the paperBody: Includes details and examples that support the controlling ideaConclusion: Signals the reader that the paper is coming to a close

28Sequencing of IdeasSequencing: The way the writer orders the ideas of the paper to implement the overall plan.Clear sequencing helps the reader understand thewriter’s ideas.Effective sequencing: Ideas build logically on oneanother and lead the reader through the paper.Ineffective sequencing: The ideas may have littlerelationship to one another and could bepresented in any order

29Grouping of IdeasIn order to effectively group ideas in a piece of writing, the writer must first understand the logical relationships between the ideas that support the controlling idea.Grouping involves the logical presentation of ideas rather than simply indenting to indicate the beginning of a paragraph.Even if a writer fails to correctly format paragraphs, ideas may still be grouped logically.

30Transitioning Making Connections Between IdeasTransitions lead the reader through the paper by linkingparts of the paper and ideas within paragraphs.Transitions are used between sentences, betweenparagraphs, and within sentences and within paragraphsTransitions can signal the type of relationships betweenideas– May be a single word, a pronoun, a phrase, or a logical linking of ideas– Explicit transitional words: for instance, consequently

31ORGANIZATION SUM IT UP Essay shows that the writer has a plan.The paper has an intro, body, and conclusion.There is a logical order to the way the writer has organized his/her ideas (each one builds on top of the other).Like ideas are grouped together in a paragraph and transition easily from one to another.The writer puts his ideas in order; either from the most important to the least important or vice versa.The essay has transitions between each paragraph. Also transitions are used within paragraphs.